Carriage for machine-guns



v 2 Sheets-Sheet 11 (Nb-Model.)

T NORDENPELT AGABRIAGB FOR MACHINE. GUNS.

N 364,366. Patented June '7. 18 7.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

T NORDENFELT ARRIAGE FOR MAGHINE GUNS.

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Stains .l nlhhl i @iii ie THORSI LN liOl-EDENFELT, OF WESTMINSTER, lilJGlL-ANJ), ASSIGNO-R TO TIIF NORDENFELT GUNS AND AMMUNlllON (.YOMPANY, (LIMITED) OF SAME PLALIE.

uARRlAGEl-OR MACHlNE=t3UN$ $PEGIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent Il'c. 354,366, dated June l, 1887. Application filed September 14, 1886. Serial No. 213.513. (Nu model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.- and the gun can thenhc movcll for the pur- Beitknownthet I, TnoRsTnN NORDENFELT, pose of ai ming,either by means of a shoulderesnhject of the King of Sweden, residing at 53 crutch attached to the cradle or otherwise; but Parliament Street, in the city of Westminster, on the commencement of the recoil the hy 5 England, civil engineer, havcinvented certain draulic pressure within the system becomes 11mlusefullniprovenientsinGnnfiarriages great, the brake block is then strongly lieahle Especially to Machine Guns, of pressed against the surface opposed to it, and oil the following is a specification. the gun is thus sccnrelylocked in position nu This invention has for its oloject improve til the disturbance to which the recoil gives to neuts in gun-carriages applicable especially to rise has ceased. lllevatiuggenr may he anmac inc-guns. pliet, consisting of an axis with hond-wheel The gun carried in a cradle, in which, on carried upon the cradle and a worm on this 's able to slide. The cradle is pro The worm engages with a worm-wheel, .rnnnions, anllthesc-are received and thus by a frictional connection turns a a aforked support. The stem spur-wheel engaging with an are oi teeth eonor" snopci pivots vertically in a socket centric withtnetrunnion-hem ugsand formed icrmell the of a conical pedestal. The or fixcll upon the some support. 6 on has a ram to it, and this entersaeyh For the purpose of training the gun, a ring nider formed upon thecradlc. When the rain of wornntecth is formed around the pedestal,

so is driven in o the recoil, it expels water or a worm on transverse horizontal. axis gears liquid from the ylintler, and this passes into with the ring in rear,aml thehearings in which seeone cylinder. The second cylinder eonthis axis is Clll'l'lBli are on the support which iains a rain of larger diameter than the first, carries the trnnnions. On the same axis with and disks; ings are applied to control the the worn: there is also a beveled wheel. An-

25 increment ct this rum. The springs are comother similar wheel gears with the first lie"- presscd when, in consequence of the recoil,the chad wheel. its axis, which is provided with rain moves outward from the cylinder. The a hand-wheel, is supported at one end in; u play of the springs is loss than the distance pin on a sleeve embracing the axis of the through which the gun recoils,in consequence worm and at the other by shearingconnected 50 of the difference in area of the two rams. The by a univcrsnl joint to the cradle, and in this space occupied by the springs consequently is hearing the axis ol'the handnl eel able to short. The tier: of the water or liquid. from more longitudinally, as Well as to turn.

one cylinder to the other is controlled by lhrot In order that my said invent-ion may he most 'tling itin anal-row passage, and during the fully understood and readily carried into 0. 35 recoil the passageinaybc gradually contracted feet, I will proceed to describe the (lrnwiug's until the gun brought to rest. A eonveuhereunto annexed.

lent way in which to vary i'hc dimensions of in the aceoini'mnying drawings. liigure l. is Q the connecting the two cylinders is to a. side elevation with the gun in place; Fig. 2.

'geroviile a Sllllltbljf-Sllilpfid. tail on the first rain a plan with the gun omitted; Fig". 3, a rear i i. enter and partially lill this passage. 1' an elevation with the gun in place; Fig. i, a ver- 113 also a third hydraulic cylinder, and. the tieallongitmlinal section u'ilhtheguninplace, run: of this cylinder is armed with a brake and Fig. .7 a trimsvcrse section 0L- n gun-earhlcclz, which bears against a surface around riage adapted to receive a machine-gun. Fig. one of the hearings and concentric with the 3 is a detail VlGW, partly in horizontal section 45 trnnnions. and partly in plan, showing portions of the When there is little or no hydraulic presstraining mechanism. era in the system, thcln'cke does not interfere A is a conical pedestal carrying the forked e5 with the tr'unmons moving in their bearings, Slmldflld or support B,whieh is able to rotate communicating with'the cylinder about a vertical axis. B are bearings on this support, which receive the trunuions G C of the cradle G.

D is the gun. It is able to slide longitudinally in the cradle.

E is a ram fixed to the gun, and it enters a cylinder, 0 formed in the cradle beneath the gun. The ram E may, butless conveniently, be replaced by apiston-rod and piston, and when speaking of a ram I. intend toinclude this form. v

' O is anothercylinder of larger diameter It also contains a ram, and this abuts upon a steel spring, F. The spring represented in the drawings is composed, in a well-known manner, of a series of dished disks of steel; but a coiled spring may be substituted. The spring abuts in rear upon a support, 0*, carried by arms projecting from the cradle.

G is a third hydraulic cylinder. It is mounted upon the cradle and in constant communication with the other cylinders, (J and C. The

ram of the cylinder G abuts upon an arc, B",

on the standard or support B. The gun-carriage shown in these figures is also provided with elevating and training gear; but this may be omitted and the gun directed by means of a shoulder-piece, stock, or crutch. The elevating-gear consists of an axis, H, on which is a hand-wheel, H, and a worm, H".

I is an axis, also carried upon the cradle, and on it is aworm-wheel driven by the worm, and a spur-wheel engaging with an arc of spurteeth B, formed in connection with the forked standard R. The spur-wheel is not rigidly fixed upon the axis H, but is connected therewith by frictional holding-gear, so that, the teeth may not be exposed to excessive strain by the recoil of the gun. On firing, the ram E is driven into the cylinder 0, and liquid is forced out of this cylinder into the larger cylinder 0*. 'The plunger of this cylinder is thereby caused to move outward, but through a distance less than that over which the gun recoils. It compresses the spring F, which is made proportionally stiff, in consequence of the small amount of play required. A short spring can be used, and this is a great advantage derived from the employment of two cylinders of different areas in the manner described. XVhen the recoil is complete, the re action of the spring brings the gun forward again to the firing position.

The'speed' of movement both in recoil and return to the firing position is regulated by suitably adjusting the dimensionsof the passage between the cylinders C and G. This may be done by providing the ramE witha tail, E, entering the passage from one cylinder to another. The tail is so shaped as to close the passage in which it moves to the extent required. \Vhile the gun is in movement,'dnring recoil and return to the firing position, therein in the cylinderG is exposed to pressureyandthe brake-block which it carries bears forcibly against the are B on the standard B. Thereby, the gun is locked, so that the elevation canuotbe changed, and the gun has not to be separately aimed for each discharge, as it would be if the concussion on discharge were able to change the elevation.- Nevertheless, after the gun has come to rest, the recoil having expended itself, the elevation may be changed by turning the elevatingwheel H; or it no mechanical elevating-gear be provided, then the gun may be directed by a stock or shouldercrutch, against which the shoulder is pressed.

Mechanical training-gear may also be provided, as the drawings show, in which case worm-teeth are provided at A, around the I in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is--- 1. A guncarriage comprising a cradle mounted on trunnions, in which cradle the gun is able to move longitudinally, and two v hydraulic cylinders upon the cradle, communicating with each other and of different diameters, the cylinder of smaller diameter re ceiving a ram connected with the gun and that of larger diameter being furnished with the recoil, and moved by the reaction of the spring to return the gun to the firing posi' tion.

2. A gun marriage comprising a cradle mounted on trunnions, and a hydraulic cyl-- inder mounted on the cradle controlling the recoil of the gun, and another hydraulic cylinder communicating with the first and havsupport on which the cradle is carried, and thereby preventing the movement of the era dle during the recoil, but leaving it free to be moved to alter the elevationof the gun when the force of the recoil is expended.

3. A gun carriage 1 comprising a cradle gun is able to move longitudinally, and a a an or prolongation of varying cross'section entering a passage through which liquid is driven by the movenientof the gun.

'4: The combination of the pedestal, the

turning support mounted in the pedestal, the

worm-teeth around the pedestal, the 'worm pedestal A, and a worin, K, engages with ing a ram exertinga pressure against the hydraulic cylinder on the cradle receiving a' ram connected with the.gun,.such:ram having The axes '95 certalned the nature of my said Invention and a ram operating againstia spring toQeheck mounted-on trunnions, in which cradle the engaging the worm teeth, the transverse horiby the turning support and with which said zonbiil, axis 0! the worm carried by the turnbearing has jointed connection, substantially ing support, the hand-wheel L, the sliding as and for the purpose set forth.

hand wheel axis gearing with the wormexis, THORSTEN NORDENFELT. 5 the sleeve 011 the wormnxis for supporting Vitnesses:

the hand-wheel axis, the bearing 0 for the PHILIP THAINE,

hand-whee1 axis, and the gun-cradle carried F. J. NORRIS. 

